Explorations and Shopping
After I wrote yesterday, I met with the directors of the internship placement to finalize details of my internship from the Uni's side. Everything is squared away, and I have a meeting tomorrow morning at 9:00 at the Town Hall House to iron out the logistics with the Urban Design and Heritage Manager of the City Planning, Development & Transport Division for the Sydney Municipal Government.
The afternoon was spent with Abs and Tiffany hiding from the rain and chatting more about our countries and cultures. In the evening Tiffany and Abs went off to explore the neighborhood a bit and I went off to downtown to meet up with some of my friends from Saturday for a bit of exploring. The rain was relentless, and the 20 minute walk downtown was a bit soggy, but it was nice to realize just how close to the heart of the city I live! We met at the Sydney fish markets and walked to Darling Harbour and crossed via a cool old bridge which spins to allow ships in and out of the innermost docks. We made a loop around the Harbour (slogging through some of the standing water) and stopped at the Watershed Hotel (http://www.thewatershedhotel.com.au/Venue) for a pint and some chips. Afterwards, it was a wet walk up along the waterway toward the north western side of the city, complete with a foggy view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Anzac Memorial Bridge. After a bit more wandering we stopped at one other hotel for a drink and called it a night, drenched but satiated.
Today the weather has been slightly more cooperative. After a light drizzle this morning, it has been relatively clear and only a bit toasty.
This morning Tiffany and I went and got some more free things and got our 'Access' cards. The cards, while a bit of an investment, give you discounts to all on campus eateries, allow you to join organizations, and even offer off campus discounts. In addition, by signing up this week, I will receive the Sydney Herald every morning via home delivery, got a delicious breakfast, and got a swanky bag full of a heap of fun things.
After dropping our loot by my terrace we wandered down the ten minutes to Broadway (a large mall very close to the Uni) and stopped into the Target (similar to the Targets in the US) as well as a store similar to Big Lots and one of the two grocery stories (Cole's). I am now almost set with everything I need, save for a fan to cool things off at night and possibly some cookware.
This evening I will be helping Tiffany move her stuff to her newly found place of residence in Sydney and then am cooking red beans and rice for my roommates (as best I can given the Australian ingredients). I will let you all know how it turns out.
Word of the day 1: Hotel (standard pronunciation)
Usage: Pub or bar, often not associated with a place of lodging at all. It seems a remnant of antiquity when places of libation were required to offer board for patrons too inebriated to venture out on the streets. Now many still retain the moniker even as though they are only watering holes and do not provide rooms.
Word of the day 2: Terrace (standard pronunciation)
Usage: A row house. Arguably the most ubiquitous of all housing stock in Sydney, the repetitive form of narrow house can be found across the entire city. There is little external difference no matter where you wander. The terraces have wrought iron balconies projecting out over the front stoop and squat tile roofs. Unlike their counterparts in the mother country, are not referred to as flats - as I erroneously did in a previous post. I stand corrected.
Word of the day 3: dodgy (daw - gee)
Usage: While the word is understood and used in the US, the Australians seem to favor it over any other word to describe any number of scenarios. Streets are dodgy, people are dodgy, in an information session about casual employment, they discussed "dodgy employers." Pepper it into your everyday conversations and you will come off as an Aussie.
The afternoon was spent with Abs and Tiffany hiding from the rain and chatting more about our countries and cultures. In the evening Tiffany and Abs went off to explore the neighborhood a bit and I went off to downtown to meet up with some of my friends from Saturday for a bit of exploring. The rain was relentless, and the 20 minute walk downtown was a bit soggy, but it was nice to realize just how close to the heart of the city I live! We met at the Sydney fish markets and walked to Darling Harbour and crossed via a cool old bridge which spins to allow ships in and out of the innermost docks. We made a loop around the Harbour (slogging through some of the standing water) and stopped at the Watershed Hotel (http://www.thewatershedhotel.com.au/Venue) for a pint and some chips. Afterwards, it was a wet walk up along the waterway toward the north western side of the city, complete with a foggy view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Anzac Memorial Bridge. After a bit more wandering we stopped at one other hotel for a drink and called it a night, drenched but satiated.
Today the weather has been slightly more cooperative. After a light drizzle this morning, it has been relatively clear and only a bit toasty.
This morning Tiffany and I went and got some more free things and got our 'Access' cards. The cards, while a bit of an investment, give you discounts to all on campus eateries, allow you to join organizations, and even offer off campus discounts. In addition, by signing up this week, I will receive the Sydney Herald every morning via home delivery, got a delicious breakfast, and got a swanky bag full of a heap of fun things.
After dropping our loot by my terrace we wandered down the ten minutes to Broadway (a large mall very close to the Uni) and stopped into the Target (similar to the Targets in the US) as well as a store similar to Big Lots and one of the two grocery stories (Cole's). I am now almost set with everything I need, save for a fan to cool things off at night and possibly some cookware.
This evening I will be helping Tiffany move her stuff to her newly found place of residence in Sydney and then am cooking red beans and rice for my roommates (as best I can given the Australian ingredients). I will let you all know how it turns out.
Word of the day 1: Hotel (standard pronunciation)
Usage: Pub or bar, often not associated with a place of lodging at all. It seems a remnant of antiquity when places of libation were required to offer board for patrons too inebriated to venture out on the streets. Now many still retain the moniker even as though they are only watering holes and do not provide rooms.
Word of the day 2: Terrace (standard pronunciation)
Usage: A row house. Arguably the most ubiquitous of all housing stock in Sydney, the repetitive form of narrow house can be found across the entire city. There is little external difference no matter where you wander. The terraces have wrought iron balconies projecting out over the front stoop and squat tile roofs. Unlike their counterparts in the mother country, are not referred to as flats - as I erroneously did in a previous post. I stand corrected.
Word of the day 3: dodgy (daw - gee)
Usage: While the word is understood and used in the US, the Australians seem to favor it over any other word to describe any number of scenarios. Streets are dodgy, people are dodgy, in an information session about casual employment, they discussed "dodgy employers." Pepper it into your everyday conversations and you will come off as an Aussie.
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